# Imperial-Origin Flow Battery Patent: What It Covers [![David Coleman](/uploads_resolved/images/261/320.webp) Author profile for David Coleman](/authors/david-coleman/ "Author profile for David Coleman")[LinkedIn profile for David Coleman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-martyn-coleman/ "LinkedIn profile for David Coleman")[David Coleman](/authors/david-coleman/ "Author profile for David Coleman") Founder & Renewable Energy Author, kilowatts.uk Article # Hydrogen-organic flow battery patent: the Imperial-origin design and its commercial limits Published 2026-11-05 20:15:05 Updated 2026-11-05 12:15:16 A reproduced US grant record highlights an Imperial-origin hydrogen-organic flow battery. Understand its older patent family and the gap to commercial storage. [ Preferred on Google ](https://www.google.com/preferences/source) ![Illustration of a UK home with rooftop solar panels and a home battery.](/uploads_resolved/images/604/320.webp) ## Home energy decisions and the latest developments Illustration of a home energy system; it does not depict a product or installation announced in this article. *Published 5 November 2026. Patent-family information and laboratory claims are distinguished from a commercial battery product.* A US patent record lists a 3 November 2026 grant for an Imperial-origin redox flow battery design combining a hydrogen side with a liquid organic side. The date is a patent milestone, not evidence that a new grid battery has started commercial operation. For UK readers interested in longer-duration storage, the question is how the architecture might progress from a protected invention and laboratory results to a complete operating system. ## The invention predates this week's patent record The [reproduced grant record for US12,785,128](https://patents.justia.com/patent/12785128) identifies IP2IPO Innovations Limited and inventors Anthony Kucernak and Javier Rubio-Garcia. The associated [published application](https://patents.google.com/patent/US20220029188A1/en) traces priority to November 2018 and an international filing in November 2019. Those dates prevent an important misunderstanding: a newly listed grant does not mean the underlying concept was first invented in November 2026. Patent publication, grant and commercial deployment answer different questions. ## What the architecture changes The application describes a gaseous anolyte paired with an organic liquid catholyte. In simple terms, the two sides use different forms of material to carry out the reversible reactions involved in charging and discharging. The [Imperial licensing page](https://www.imperial.ac.uk/for-business/commercialisation/imperial-tech/technology-search/novel-hydrogen-organic-hybrid-flow-battery/) discusses later methylene-blue work. That particular laboratory formulation should not be confused with every chemistry covered by the broader patent family. ## Laboratory cycling is not a grid warranty Imperial reports laboratory performance, including testing over 30 full cycles. That is a defined experiment, not evidence of the many years of operation expected from a commercial storage installation. Development also needs to address the complete system: storage vessels, pumps, controls, power electronics, maintenance and the handling of its materials. A cell result cannot provide the installed cost or availability of all those components together. ## What a patent does not establish A patent record is not a product certification, a project finance decision, a freedom-to-operate opinion or a supply contract. It does not independently validate the economics of a future battery. For a developer assessing the technology, useful next evidence would include independent system tests, repeated cycling under relevant conditions, measured efficiency including auxiliary loads, and a documented maintenance and safety case. ## What it means for a household buyer This is research and intellectual-property news, not an alternative domestic battery quotation. A homeowner should continue comparing available equipment on usable capacity, power, support and a suitable installation design. The technology may remain worth following as a possible storage route, but a future licensing or pilot announcement should be assessed on its own evidence. Keep the patent milestone separate from claims that the design is already commercially proven. Tags: [Flow battery](/tags/flow-battery/ "Flow battery")[Battery research](/tags/battery-research/ "Battery research")[Uk innovation](/tags/uk-innovation/ "Uk innovation") [ Preferred on Google ](https://www.google.com/preferences/source) Solar comparison ## Compare solar for your property Enter your postcode to assess your roof, compare solar options and get quotes from UK installers. - Free postcode start - Home, business and industrial - RoboMo™ maps your roof ## See which panels fit your roof Choose home, business or industrial, then enter your postcode. RoboMo maps the roof and ranks panel brands by fit. - Home - Business - Industrial UK postcode Fast, free and no obligation to proceed. **1. Postcode** Start the assessment for your property. **2. Pin the roof** Mark the array on the map. **3. Compare** RoboMo™ builds your options. ![Battery storage ROI calculator](/uploads_resolved/images/1012/320.webp) Battery ROI tool ## See what a battery saves on your bill Enter the day rate, off-peak rate and export rate. The calculator ranks batteries in the Kilowatts shop over 10 years. Home batteries also suit offices and small commercial sites. [ **Home** Houses and flats ](/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/batteries/)[ **Business** Offices and small sites ](/services/commercial/renewable-energy/commercial-solar-panel-installation/batteries/)[ **Industrial** Factories and warehouses](/services/industrial/renewable-energy/industrial-solar-battery-storage/#get-quote-now) [Shop batteries](/shop/kilowatts-uk/range/solar-batteries/) ## Related services - [fitting an EV charger at home](/services/residential/electric-vehicle-infrastructure/residential-ev-charger-installation/) - [heating and ventilation for homes](/services/residential/heating-cooling-ventilation/) - [LED stair lighting](/services/residential/outdoor-entertainment/residential-staircase-lighting/) - [extractor and ventilation fans for homes](/services/residential/heating-cooling-ventilation/residential-ventilation-fan/) - [video doorbell installation](/services/residential/smart-home-security/residential-doorbell-camera/) - [residential intercom and door entry systems](/services/residential/smart-home-security/residential-intercom-system/) Reading ## Sources & further reading [Illumion Battery Imaging: What the GBP1.7m Raise Funds Cambridge spinout Illumion has raised GBP1.7 million for battery imaging technology. What charge photometry can show, and why this is not a new home battery. Read article](/resources/illumion-battery-imaging-funding-uk/ "Illumion Battery Imaging: What the GBP1.7m Raise Funds")[PowerNet Solid-State Battery Pilot: What Is Confirmed Australia is backing a pilot line for PowerNet modular batteries. See the 4 kWh concept, project timetable and why a UK launch is not established. Read article](/resources/powernet-portable-solid-state-battery-australia/ "PowerNet Solid-State Battery Pilot: What Is Confirmed")[![Can Your EV Power Your Home? The Battery on the Drive](/uploads_resolved/images/703/320.webp)Can Your EV Power Your Home? The Battery on the Drive A typical EV battery stores several times more than a home battery - but only bidirectional cars and chargers can send that energy back into the house. Read article](/blog/the-battery-on-your-driveway/ "Can Your EV Power Your Home? The Battery on the Drive")[![Lithium-Sulphur Battery and Perovskite Solar Drone Completes Two-Hour Flight](/uploads_resolved/images/853/320.webp)Lithium-Sulphur Battery and Perovskite Solar Drone Completes Two-Hour Flight A lithium-sulphur battery drone with perovskite solar cells flew almost two hours. What the test does and does not prove for UK energy sites. Read article](/resources/yesterday-uk/ "Lithium-Sulphur Battery and Perovskite Solar Drone Completes Two-Hour Flight") Solar panels ## Solar panels [![Perlight PLM-500H8NHB-108 505W](/images/panels/perlight-plm-505h8nhb-108.jpg) 505WPerlight PLM-500H8NHB-108 505W Perlight Perlight · 505W View details](/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/solar-panels/perlight-plm-505h8nhb-108/)[![UKSOL UKS-S108-M10N-R 460W](/images/panels/uksol-uks-s108-m10n-r-460.jpg) 460WUKSOL UKS-S108-M10N-R 460W UKSOL UKSOL · 460W View details](/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/solar-panels/uksol-uks-s108-m10n-r-460/)[![NT12R/54GDF 500 W](/images/panels/gcl-system-integration-nt12r-54gdf-500.jpg) 500WNT12R/54GDF 500 W GCL System Integration GCL System Integration · 500W View details](/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/solar-panels/gcl-system-integration-nt12r-54gdf-500/) Shop ## Shop [![Growatt MIN 10000 TL-X2](/images/shop/inverter-growatt-min-10000-tl-x2-13.jpg) £870.00Growatt MIN 10000 TL-X2 View product](/shop/kilowatts-uk/inverter-growatt-min-10000-tl-x2-13/)[![Ulica Solar Black Jade Flow 470 W](/images/panels/ulica-solar-ul-470m-108ddgn.jpg) £76.61Ulica Solar Black Jade Flow 470 W View product](/shop/kilowatts-uk/panel-ulica-solar-ul-470m-108ddgn/)[![Ulica Solar Black Jade Flow 475 W](/images/panels/ulica-solar-ul-470m-108ddgn.jpg) £77.43Ulica Solar Black Jade Flow 475 W View product](/shop/kilowatts-uk/panel-ulica-solar-ul-475m-108ddgn/) ## Mo's Mission Nominations [**Garlinge Primary School and Nursery**Garlinge Primary School and Nursery is a foundation primary school on Westfield Road in Margate, Kent, for children aged 3 to 11. It is m...](/solar-mission/garlinge-primary-school-nursery/) [**St Luke's Church of England Primary School**St Luke's Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled Church of England primary school on Jubilee Road in Formby, Merseysi...](/solar-mission/st-luke-s-church-of-england-primary-school/) [**Comberbach Nursery and Primary School**Comberbach Nursery and Primary School is a primary academy on Mather Drive in the village of Comberbach, near Northwich in Cheshire, for...](/solar-mission/comberbach-primary-school/) Write for Kilowatts.uk ## Got a trade and something worth saying? Write it here under your own name. Sign in, put a profile up, and start a guide. Pay only if you want more links from your articles out to your own site. ### Register Create a Kilowatts.uk account, or sign in if you already have one. ### Author profile Put your name, photo and experience on a public author page. ### Start creating Write a guide or a blog. Free authors can put one followed link to their own site in articles each month. [Write for us](/write-for-us/) [Register or sign in](/login/) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Is this a battery invented for the first time in November 2026? No. The patent family traces priority to 2018 and an international filing in 2019. The November 2026 record concerns a grant milestone. ### Does the grant prove a commercial battery is operating? No. A patent record and laboratory tests do not establish a commissioned commercial system. ### Is this a new home battery I can order? The sources concern an invention and research/licensing work, not a specified UK retail home battery.